“My interest in design all started in high school when I decided to focus on art and design classes. I grew up in Massachusetts where I attended college in Boston at Wentworth Institute of Technology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design. As a young designer, I am always curious about “what’s the new thing.” I am always wanting to learn from a different design perspective. For example, my last co-op I worked with architects and got to understand more about the structure. These advantages help me understand what I am designing and what I need to improve on as a young designer.Continue reading…

Zak, his wife, and two children. With a passion for design that began at an early age, his work is the product of an experienced and talented designer. Congratulations on winning 1st place!

“I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with a small stint in British Columbia. I always knew I wanted to design homes. I can remember sitting on the floor as a kid building Lego houses and hotels, and I always gravitated to drawing sprawling dream homes over all the other topics little kids usually draw! I was gifted my first drafting table when I was 13 or 14, and I was off to the races. I had a great Drafting & Design program in my high school and it definitely solidified my want to do this for a living.Continue reading…

Chief Architect Design Contests are a fun way to share your designs, build credibility and expose your brand. Share one of your Kitchen/Bath & Interior Designs for a chance to win Chief Gear. Use any Chief Architect or Home Designer software product to create your original design.

Chace Groves placed 2nd in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest in April and 3rd in the Kitchen/Bath & Interior Design Contest in May. Chace’s passion for 3D home design and modeling is clearly portrayed in his winning designs.

“I always had an eye for design. Since I was a kid, I always loved testing ideas and reworking current concepts. I started young, sketching plans and inventing various models and machines. I always loved testing my creativity and problem-solving skills, despite being a brain tumor survivor. My fairly poor motor skills and major loss of hearing, due to the radiation removal, were challenged in grade school and throughout life. Anything that involved my motor skills was easily not my shining talent. I’ve always hated coloring, cutting, pasting, and other handcrafting skills. In grade school, I worked my way through various home designing software and used them for much more than just home designs. I made dog houses, forts, playsets, greenhouse, and even a roping cow. Continue reading…

Angela Barnes wins 1st place in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest. She and her husband Chris have been building custom homes together for over 20 years.

“I use Chief Architect every day and am always learning something new that improves my designs!!!” -Angela Barnes

“I am originally from Raleigh, NC but have lived In Hampstead, NC for 22 years with my husband and three sons. I graduated in 1992 from Meredith College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design. My husband and I have been building custom homes for over 20 years and just recently added the design element to our business, CLB Custom Homes, Inc., thanks to Chief Architect.Continue reading…

About Chief Architect

Chief Architect Software is a leading developer and publisher of 3D Architectural home design software for builders, designers, architects and home DIY enthusiasts.

What our Customers are Saying

Total no brainer

Renting the program has made the commitment to Chief a total no brainer … I am among many designers that find the program not only profitable but fun to use.

Brian Farris

Farris Construction

Our favorite software

Our favorite software. I have been using chief for about 6 years now, I believe I started in x4. Chief was the clear choice for architectural design and plan sets, with its import and export into other CAD and BIM-based… products, its extensive catalogs, its massive collection of support articles, bustling internet forums and decent rendering abilities. There is no other software on the market that is as user-friendly, capable and fast. We’ve recently started using Chief Architect for market advertisements as well as importing into high-end visual video walkthrough software such as Lumion. We’re quite happy with Chief’s versatility and ever-expanding features. Read more “Our favorite software”

Great for Residential Design

The best home design software we’ve ever used!

The best home design software we’ve ever used! Finally, a program that works or “thinks” like a designer as opposed to a program for the manufacturer of boxes or materials. Great quality renderings too.

Thank you, Chief Architect!!!

I use Chief Architect software exclusively in my design business. I started out with CA Home Designer Pro, used that for two years, then “graduated” to the full-blown Chief Architect software. The structure and platform of all their products is… identical so, moving up to the next, greater version is SO comfortable! I’m getting raves about the work I’m doing – thank you, Chief Architect!!! Read more “Thank you, Chief Architect!!!”

William Haigh

William Haigh Design

Instantly fell in love…

I instantly fell in love with the easy to learn, user-friendly interface, and the details it was capable of capturing. My clients have been very happy with their design, the process, and the finished product.

Thank you Chief Architect for a great program.

Since we have been using Chief Architect, we have been able to give our customers a complete visual of what we proposed for their project, as well as, boost our credibility, our sales, and our overall profit for all projects… we have sold. Thank you Chief Architect for a great program. Read more “Thank you Chief Architect for a great program.”

Great job Chief Architect team!

I’ve had great results using this software. I started with Home Designer Pro and then moved to Chief Architect Premier. I really like the way the software is set up, it’s much easier to use than other products. My clients… love the 3D renderings and I know it’s helped me get new projects. Great job Chief Architect team! Read more “Great job Chief Architect team!”

Absolutely Indispensable!

We use Chief Architect every single day and it is an absolutely indispensable part of our business. The ability to show a client, with extreme accuracy, what a space will look like before the work has even begun is everything.

Will pay for itself in one job!

I have been using Chief Architect since late 2005. As I tell everyone who is interested in doing 3D design, Chief Architect is the best way to go. It is a powerful program, easy to learn and use, is at… a great price and will pay for itself in one job. Read more “Will pay for itself in one job!”

Kudos for making the student a priority

Students have asked about Chief Architect more than any of our other programs. I use it at the end of the semester because if I used it in the beginning, I would never get them to move on to other… units… It will be the one program students will use voluntarily and will assure me learning is taking place at home. Plus it will make me the most popular teacher. ha ha Read more “Kudos for making the student a priority”

A Game Changer

Chief Architect has been a game-changer for me, it offers a very efficient workflow with an output that makes my clients feel individual. The documents look crafted and relate to the project, not generic. Chief covers the whole spectrum from… 3d visuals through to detailed sections, plans etc and even offers a 3d viewer app for construction professionals and clients alike to share 3d models. This would, could, and should be a global market leader with just a couple of tiny tiny tweaks! The house in the picture is in outer London England. The work has commenced, all detail and outline designs were produced within Chief Architect. The pen should be an intuitive tool to convey ideas and information and not entirely a skill of its own, Chief has nailed it! Please remember CA, Interiors are only 1/10th of architecture. Read more “A Game Changer”

A Magical Tool!

A very powerful tool

I am an interior design professional who has been using Chief Architect software for my business since 2010. The software is a very powerful tool I use on all my projects and allows me to create detailed plans, elevations and… very impressive 3D renderings for my clients. The software has taken time to learn, but the support from Chief is quick and helpful, and the tools including videos and online forums also very helpful. Read more “A very powerful tool”

Bridging the Gap between 2D planning and 3D Rendering

Every time we are able to walk our clients through their future home or project with the Chief Architect 3D Software, it’s a success. Many of our clients are not visual. Chief helps bridge the gap between the 2D floor… plan and grasping what the finished project will look like. We hear constant feedback on how impressive the capabilities of being able to see the scale of the spaces, customize materials, try different cabinet configurations, etc. We are able to save them so much headache and heartache in the design phase vs. going through a change order process in the field. Being able to offer the 3D aspect for our projects has truly set us apart from our peers. Read more “Bridging the Gap between 2D planning and 3D Rendering”

“This submission features the Ashleigh Home Plan by J. Hall Homes, Inc. The Modern Farmhouse design boasts of exposed brick throughout, an antique pantry door, and Agreeable Gray shiplap on the ceiling. Contrast and detail surround this open floor plan and creates the perfect atmosphere for family and friends to gather. As a custom home builder, J. Hall Homes allows for our client's style and personality to shine in their home and this space certainly achieves that.”

“I had an idea for a long kitchen island even in this a large and kind of quirky space, and I went for it and it turned out well. The light walls make the kitchen feel clean and open, and at the same time, the dark cabinetry and hardwood floors make it feel cozy and like home.”